The Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, will promote secondary tourist destinations in the neighbouring country to attract Thai travellers.
Thanapat Tiyanont, Marketing Officer of Tourism Malaysia Bangkok Office, told the Bangkok Post that the top four Malaysian destinations among Thai travellers are Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Pahang and Malacca.
To promote secondary destinations, the agency will cooperate with related agencies to promote Kuching, known for its natural beauty; Mount Kinabalu on Borneo island; and Perak state, which borders Thailand’s Yala province, he said.
Perak is famous for its food, limestone caves and mountains, he said.
He said that during the first four months of the year, Malaysia welcomed about 500,000 Thais, adding its target of attracting 1 million Thai tourists before the end of the year will be achievable.
Mr Thanapat also said that there will be more direct flights connecting both countries.
At the end of last month, Malaysia’s MYAirline established direct flights from the capital Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok.
“Bangkok was chosen as MYAirline’s first international destination due to the increasing numbers of both business and leisure travellers to and from Malaysia,” CEO Rayner Teo Kheng Hock said.
According to a record of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, Thailand welcomed 1,696,358 Malaysian visitors from January to May, up from 76,420 visitors during the same period last year.
“We are confident that this trend will continue as trade and tourism between Malaysia and Thailand will further develop in the coming years,” Mr Rayner added.
Founded in January 2021, the airline offered its first domestic flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Langkawi in December last year. The service was later expanded to nine domestic destinations.